Role of herbal drugs in cancer an Ethnopharmacological Survey

Cancer is a general term applied of series of malignant diseases that may affect different parts of body. The main causes of cancer are alterations of DNA, mutations, damage, smoking, addiction to liquor, chewing tobacco, imbalance diet, exposure to certain chemicals (carcinogens) etc. Complementary and alternative medicine use is common amongst cancer patients. In many surveys, herbal medicines are amongst the most commonly used group of treatments. Herbal remedies are believed by the general public to be safe, cause less side-effects and less likely to cause dependency. Traditional medicine has a long history of serving peoples all over the world.  The use of herbal remedies and dietary supplements is widespread throughout the world, and use may be increasing. These are taken for a wide range of perceived benefits and treatment of specific conditions. Alternatively many herbals and dietary supplements may predispose to control in different types of cancer. In this article, we review the potential anticancer effects of herbal remedies and discuss the potential interaction between these herbal substances and conventional anticancer medications. These herbal medicines along with benefits also include some adverse effects. This review summarizes the role of some pharmaceutically important herbal medicines used in treating cancer. Key Words: Traditional medicine,cancer,Dietary supplements, herbal remedies, potential interaction.